So Much Left Unsaid
by Caliente
Summary: unrelated one-shots dealing with life after death in the Marvel-verse –– Why do some live while others die? –– 1. Warren/Betsy 2. Dani/Pat
1. Worth All the While

**Author's Note**: This story is a series of unrelated one-shots. The only thing they have in common is the theme. Basically, it stems from the fact that I feel like after an X-Man dies, everybody mourns for, like, a day and then they forget about it. Or expect them to come back from the dead a la Phoenix. But what about those that don't? I decided some of the characters needed to make peace.

**Disclaimer**: I own… what is own anyway? It's something created by "the man" to keep us down! How can anyone own anything? So, yeah, I don't own the X-Men… but that's because I don't buy into "the man's" system. Yeah. I'm going with that.

This story is dedicated to Beaubier both for beta-ing it and making me catch her Warren-addiction. Actually, damn you for that second one. :p

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_Tattoos of memories  
And dead skin on trial.  
For what it's worth,  
it was worth all the while.  
It's something unpredictable  
But in the end there's right.  
I hope you had the time of your life.  
_ – Good Riddance, Green Day

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"There has never been anybody else like you. And you always knew that, didn't you? I often wondered… just how did I get this fabulous woman to fall for me. Sure, I had other women in the past. Hell, some of them were celebrities, and all of them were beautiful. But you… you had this spirit. This presence. For some reason, you cracked through my thick skull. There was always the physical attraction, true. And, really, who could blame me? You were always something spectacular.

"And, unfortunately, you knew it too. Had a bit of an attitude on you, you did. But, I always did liked a girl with spunk. Some may have called it bitchiness… and sometimes it was, but you were… you. You didn't make any apologies for it either. I respected that. And beneath the bitchiness and the attitude, there was a beautiful spirit. One that had seen too many hardships. Though, I suppose that's true for all of us in the spandex club. Imagine how bored we'd be if we actually led the lives we'd once sought out for ourselves?

"But I'm getting off topic. After all, I'm here to talk about you. To you. To make my peace. Or perhaps for peace of mind. I'm not really sure. I guess I just wanted to be sure you knew the truth. The truth is… I loved you. I still love you. I always will. When I fell, I fell hard. And I swear to you, it was the real thing. At least, I thought it was. The time we shared together, it was some of the most special in my entire life. Like I said before, I had women before you… but you were it, babe. The one. I knew it with all my heart. All my soul. My entire being.

"I'll bet you're wondering why I did it then, huh? Why I took that love and threw it away. In all honesty, even I'm not certain. It was just… a feeling. For all the love I felt, I couldn't help but wonder. Did you feel the same? I suppose you could say I was insecure. Actually, I'm pretty sure I had a right to be, I wasn't the most normal looking guy after all. Funny how that's all changed now… Back to the point. Even with the depth of my feelings, and trust me darling, they were deep, I felt us growing a part. Do you know how badly I wanted to reverse time– go back to when everything seemed perfect? Too bad those days couldn't last.

"I know you didn't think I saw it. Or maybe you thought I was imaging it. I'm not really sure. Sure, flirting was your way. But it was one thing when it was in jest or between friends. But there you were, practically falling into another man's arms. And, in my defense, it killed me inside. So I put on my old act. The cool, uncaring one. But it wasn't enough. I couldn't stand to be so close and watch another man steal you away. It just hurt too much.

"That's why I did it. That's why I broke it off. And, I'm sure in your heart of hearts, you knew it was the truth. I always remembered hearing that, 'if you love something, let it go.' So that's what I did, love. I let you go. I wanted you to be happy and I knew I wasn't enough. Not anymore, anyway. As much as it kills my ego to admit that… I know it's the truth.

"I guess… I always assumed that you'd come back. That someday we'd be able to reconcile. Maybe after watching Scott and Jean so many times… or Rogue and Gambit… I took it for granted. I assumed you'd go off on your adventure, then return. To me. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but I truly believed it. There hasn't been a day that's gone by where I didn't wonder if it might have gone that way, had you returned. But, see… that's the thing. You didn't. You never returned. You left me for real. With nothing but sadness.

"I suppose that I should get to the bottom line. I'm a businessman after all, that's what I do. Find the bottom line. And the bottom line is… I don't regret any of it. Any of the pain, sorrow… nothing. It was all worth it, just to share the time we did. The time we shared, it was the most special in my entire life. I think I'll be spending the rest of my time on Earth trying to gain that feeling again. The pure bliss that you brought me. So, darling, I hope you had the time of your life, because I know I did. I love you."

Rising from his kneeling position, Warren Kenneth Worthington III placed the bouquet of violets, her favorite color, on the grave stone in front of him. His finger passed over the engraving. _Here lies Elisabeth Braddock. May she rest in peace._ Simple and elegant. Just like Betsy. Her parting words still haunted him. _"I'm alive, Warren. That's a start."_ If only… if only that were still true. It would be enough. But it wasn't. Wiping away the few stray tears that fell from his shining blue eyes, Warren stood at his full height. "Good-bye Betsy," he whispered as he turned to head back into the mansion. Back to his life. Without her. He held his head high, but inside, his heart was breaking all over again.

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	2. How to Save a Life

**Author's Note: **And a million years later I actually have something else to post to this fic. For fanfic100 prompt #30: Death. This story is set shortly after New Mutants v1 #41 in which Dani deals with an old friend in Colerado, Pat Roberts, after leaving the team because of the post-Beyonder zombieishness forced Magnus to send 'em to The Massachusetts Academy. (Wow, run on sentence much?) It's a bit continuity heavy but that should give gist enough. Mm, think that's about it! Show must go on...  
**Disclaimer: **Yeah, I got nothin'. Seriously.

**So Much Left Unsaid**  
by, Caliente

_And pray to God he hears you  
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend  
Somewhere along in the bitterness  
And I would have stayed up with you all night  
Had I known how to save a life  
As he begins to raise his voice  
You lower yours and grant him one last choice_  
-- How to Save a Life, The Fray

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"I hate the movies _The Sixth Sense_ and _Meet Joe Black. _I hate the music video for _Savin' Me_ by Nickelback (who really are offensive enough all on their own). I hate that episode of _Charmed_ that features the Grim Reaper. I hate movies like _Final Destination_ and all its shitty sequels. I hate them for being wrong. Except maybe _Final Destination_. They, at least, got the idea right. I mean, come on. 'I see dead people.' Who came up with that crap? You can't see dead people—there's nothing to see. They're _dead_. Besides, there are worse things to see than dead people. 

"Like watching people die. Friends. Teammates. Seeing them die for no reason other than some being of unimaginable power has willed it to be so. Watching them go, one by one, and knowing you are helpless to stop it. It hurt so much. Far worse than actually dying (which I did, as well). I should've been able to prevent it. I should've known. I could see it—watched as the marks haunted me. But I refused to believe. I was stubborn, just like always, and they had to pay the price. What would you have had me do? There was nothing. Death comes. Simply irresistible.

"You learned that the hard way, I suppose. I know you were angry with me and for that I am sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I tried so hard. I did. I fought Death for you. But, just like in that stupid episode of _Charmed_, I couldn't win. You can't beat death. Can't stop her. I wanted so badly to, you must know that. Gods, I would have given everything to save you. I would have done anything. _Anything_. The kid I remember deserved so much better. You would have earned your second chance. I have faith. I wish I could have given it to you.

"I just… it was supposed to be a gift! Part of the whole Valkyrie thing. But I didn't ask for it—didn't ask to join. If I had known… well, I suppose I was a goner from the first moment I met Brightwind but… I don't understand. What's wrong with me? That all my so-called gifts should actually be curses—it isn't fair. Black Eagle always used to smile at me when I said that. 'Ours has never been a fair existence,' he'd said, in that voice that made it hard to tell if he was serious or teasing. The brown people. Mutants. I never did understand what he meant. Not completely.

"It doesn't matter now, though. We all died. The sign never lies. Then, like good little X-People, we came back. We were mere shells of our former selves. I wish I could remember what it was like. Did I go to Valhalla? Did I see my grandfather? I wonder if my soul was stuck in Limbo (and I don't mean Illyana's). I guess it doesn't really matter. I just… miss him, is all. It would've been nice to see him again. To apologize for all the things I did. Things I said. For not stopping Pierce. I just hope he knows how… how _sorry_ I am. For all that and… for never telling him I loved him enough. For being so difficult. I…

"Anyway, I managed to bridge the gap with a little help from a frog. Actually, I think it was Thor but… never mind that. It was a relief. To be whole again. My friends, though… I couldn't bring them out of it. And Magnus, he just gave up! Sent them to the White Queen, of all people! And even though I wanted to be there for them, I just… I _couldn't_. They're my friends and I love them, but between my own guilt and anger at Magnus I… I don't know. I am still a selfish person, I suppose.

"Some friend, right? Guess you were right about me. I turned tail and ran away from them just like I ran away from you. Until all I could offer you was too little, too late. Our paths diverged too long ago and you… you were so far gone from me. It was too late for us. For you. I was too late. Black Eagle once told me that sometimes a thing gets broken and there… there just isn't a way to fix it. Like us. I loved you once, you know. Like to think you might've loved me, too, if things had been different. If we'd been different.

"Promise I won't forget, Pat. That much I can give you. It might not be what you deserve but it's something. It's all I have. I love you. I'll miss you.

"Never forget."

Her voice was barely more than a whisper as she uttered those final words. Silently, she opened her eyes and gently brushed the gravestone in front of her. Pat Roberts. Danielle Moonstar ignored the tears that stained her cheeks. She gave him a solemn bow before slowly rising from her kneeling position in the snow. Carefully, she swept the top of the stone clear of white powder and gave it one last nod before finally turning away. She wouldn't forget. She'd _never_ forget. That was her promise to him. And she wouldn't let her other friends go so easily, either. _That_ was her promise to herself.

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If ya like it, lemme know! ...pweeeeeese..? 


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